Project information

The Helpline Project

Each year 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and a further 220,000 are told they have cervical abnormalities which if not monitored or treated could develop into cervical cancer. These women face the uncertainty a diagnosis brings and the physical and emotional side-effects of treatment.

At Jo’s we passionately believe every woman affected should have the best possible care, treatment and support. Through our Helpline we are committed to making this happen. We want to be there for every woman who needs us, for as long as they need us.

Charity information: Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust

Need

An estimated 49,000 women are currently living with or beyond cervical cancer in the UK. Survival is increasing, however the consequences of diagnosis and treatment can last a lifetime impacting psychological wellbeing, physical
health, finances and relationships. Many women never meet another person affected. We want to reduce the feelings of isolation, anxiety and fear a diagnosis can bring and be there for every woman who has questions, feels alone or needs support.

Solution

Our Helpline is unique in the level of high quality support and information that we provide on living with cervical cancer and treatment options. The service is in growing demand and each year our small team of 24 highly-trained volunteers, all of whom have personal or professional experience of cervical cancer (so callers can be assured that they are speaking to someone who understands what they are going through), handle in excess of 1,000 calls.

Impact

We are an impact-led organisation and monitor our progress through Helpline and Call Back logs recorded within our database, as well as regular surveys which ask how individuals found the service they used, what they did with the information they received and whether they felt effectively supported.
To date, 89% of callers have told us they would use the Helpline again and 57% explicitly told the Helpliner that they felt relieved or less anxious after contacting Jo's.

Risk

We do not believe there are any risks to this project.

Reporting

For donations of £1,000 or more, donors will receive a written update at the end of the year reporting on the impact that the funds have made (in terms of the number of volunteers trained, the number of calls handled and an analysis of the impact that the service has had on callers).

Location

We are a national charity with headquarters in London, an office in Glasgow and support groups around the country. The helpline is a UK-wide service. Our helpline volunteers are recruited from across the country, training takes place annually in Birmingham and our volunteers work remotely (from home).

Beneficiaries

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer amongst women under 35 in the UK. Each year over 3,200 women are given a life changing cervical cancer diagnosis. In addition, there are an estimated 49,000 women in the UK living with or beyond a cervical cancer diagnosis, many of whom are dealing with the long term physical and emotional side effects of treatment (including infertility and bladder and bowel damage).

Why Us?

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the UK's only national charity dedicated to women with cervical cancer, their friends, family and partners. Jo’s is one of the largest patient-led cervical cancer charities in the world. We are uniquely placed to understand and identify the support and information women affected by cervical cancer need. Each year, we provide much-needed information and vital support to over 7,200 women directly and to 1.2 million people online.